PARCELS FOR BRITAIN

Chronicle (Levin), 11 July 1947, Page 5

PARCELS FOR BRITAIN

- Press Association

Authorjties Averse To Any Great Increase

By Telegrctph-

WELLINGTON, July 11. The British authorities were averse to any appreciable increase in the volume of personally addressed food parcels to the United Kingdom, said the PostmasterGeneral, Mr. Hackett, in a letter to Federated Farmers. Mr. Hackett added that the disposal of parcels increased' the .transport delivery difflculties in Britain, thus benefitting the few at the experise of many. * The Federated Farmers' organisaiion had asked that the Government allow food parcels to be sent free of postage for a space of, say, three months during the critical period. Mr. Hackett replied that while he was in sympathy, there were many difflculties in the way;of granting the request, The postage on parcels had to be shared in three ways— the country of origin, the shipping company and the country of destination. The sums retained in New Zealand were barely sufficient to meet internal handling costs. An aspect sometimes overlooked was that food packed in parcels took up more space than the food despatched in bulk, he continued. Instances had already occurred where parcel mails had been of such a . volume that certain bulk foodstuffs urgently required in Britain had had to be held over. Mr. Hackett said that the British authorities in the past had voiced suggestions that if the volume of parcels increased to any extent, the use of the parcel post service might have to be suspended.